Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I'm a major listmaker. My lists can be found on the kitchen island, in the crevices of my purse, in drifts on my desk, even next to my bathroom sink. Lists help me get a grip and feel like I'm in some kind of control of the endless improv skit that is life here on earth.

So I was intrigued when I met the folks from SkinnyScoop.com this summer at BlogHer San Diego. (After I pelted them repeatedly with custom foot sanders, they finally came out from behind the escalator bank and talked to me.)

SkinnyScoop is a website made entirely of lists. (I know.) There are all kinds of "cheat sheets" there with things like recommendations for summer reads and activities for toddlers.

I ask you: who can resist information that is presented in bullet-point form? I sure can't.

Naturally, I was compelled to add my own, which I call "Ten Signs of an Impending Girls' Night Out FAIL":

[Hint: If you can't see the embedded list here, either hit the side of your monitor really hard OR click here.]

Also, for those of you who are wondering, this is not a sponsored post. I just think the list format is a lot of fun and lends itself quite nicely to le comedy. That's not to say, however, that I can't be bought. For the right amount, I'll direct you to my Swiss bank account, which - I recently discovered - is not located in Ohio, but rather some effing cold place in Europe.

Wanted: Marinka's New Book!

You heard that right: Marinka - of Motherhood in NYC fame - has written a book and it is now available. It's called WANTED: CAT and, even though my two (you heard me) copies have yet to arrive, I can say without hesitation that WANTED: CAT will rule.Marinka's blog was one of the doorsteps I found myself shivering on when I first stepped off that Greyhound bus and onto the mean streets of the blogging world. She took me in, gave me a double latte with a slug of vodka in it and let me warm myself by the fire of her hilarious and singular comic voice.

Then, when I was a little stronger, she gently let me know it was time to move on by stabbing a small hole in my inflatable guest bed with a Bic pen.

As she waved goodbye from her stoop, she wished me luck with a traditional Russian blessing, although when I looked it up later, it seemed odd that a blessing would have the word "freeloader" in it.

[Do not be dissuaded by the fact that, according to the Amazon page, people who viewed WANTED: CAT also viewed an apparently real book with the title Crafting with Cat Hair. After all, everyone knows that, in today's publishing marketplace, it's all about cross-selling!]

I like the app idea! I'm a big time list maker. Just did another set of lists a couple of days ago and have already failed one of them. This is not a good way to look at it, I suppose.Just bought "I'm Kind of a Big Deal." Started it on my Kindle and it's good. Thanks for the recommendation.

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Anna Lefler is an award-winning writer and humorist and the author of THE CHICKTIONARY: FROM A-LINE TO Z-SNAP, THE WORDS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW (Adams Media, November 2011). Her work has appeared online at Salon.com, McSweeney's, TheBigJewel, MyPheme, FunnyNotSlutty and HumorPress. Anna's essays on modern motherhood have been nationally syndicated and her fiction has been presented onstage by WordTheatre Los Angeles. She has performed standup comedy in Los Angeles clubs including the Hollywood Improv, the Comedy Store, Room 5 Lounge and M Bar. Anna can also be found at www.annalefler.com, where she is trying to stop referring to herself in third person.